Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Libreville

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,500 in Libreville, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Libreville
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Libreville Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Libreville

🇬🇦 Gabon

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Libreville

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Libreville actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,500 in Libreville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Libreville $1,500

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,441 in Libreville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Libreville $2,441

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,382 in Libreville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Libreville $3,382

Playa del Carmen is about 20% cheaper than Libreville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Libreville is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$16.95 FCFA 9,984

-35.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$67.7 FCFA 39.9K

-35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$15.19 FCFA 8,945

-22.45%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$5.93 FCFA 3,492

-35.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.71 FCFA 1,009

-25.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.45 FCFA 854

-46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.00 FCFA 586

217.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$1.88 FCFA 1,109

162.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$3.45 FCFA 2,033

-59.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.22 FCFA 721

81.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$2.93 FCFA 1,727

-51.54%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$4.22 FCFA 2,485

-40.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$10.18 FCFA 5,993

-28.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$8.43 FCFA 4,965

-8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$25.97 FCFA 15.3K

-51.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.02 FCFA 1,778

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$3.76 FCFA 2,212

-63.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$3.73 FCFA 2,194

-31.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$3.34 FCFA 1,968

-36.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$3.05 FCFA 1,799

-36.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$4.38 FCFA 2,580

-56.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.08 FCFA 1,223

-44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.58 FCFA 928

-25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.53 FCFA 1,491

69.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$11.44 FCFA 6,735

-13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$0.95 FCFA 560

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.31 FCFA 771

103.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.35 FCFA 208

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$34.44 FCFA 20.3K

-22.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.26 FCFA 740

294.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.77 FCFA 452

332.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$16.84 FCFA 9,917

-68.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.04 FCFA 611

38.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$29.4K FCFA 17.3M

-29.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$21.8K FCFA 12.8M

7.87%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$84.8 MX$1,581

$84.6 FCFA 49.8K

0.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.41 MX$436

$33.55 FCFA 19.8K

-30.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$63.9 FCFA 37.6K

-55.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$64.4 FCFA 37.9K

-11.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$25.75 FCFA 15.2K

12.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$4.46 FCFA 2,629

15.25%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$207 MX$3,851

$173 FCFA 101.8K

19.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$5,638 FCFA 3.3M

-30.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$84.0 FCFA 49.5K

-48.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$43.23 FCFA 25.5K

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$52.0 FCFA 30.6K

42.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$104 FCFA 61.2K

-14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,028 FCFA 605.6K

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$432 FCFA 254.2K

-11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,046 FCFA 1.2M

-16.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$844 FCFA 497.2K

27.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$3,602 FCFA 2.1M

9.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$2,761 FCFA 1.6M

123.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$417 FCFA 245.8K

75.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.5

-0.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Libreville: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Libreville

$432 28.8% 13.4% $51

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Libreville

$371 24.7% 45.5% $116

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Libreville

$274 18.3% 35.3% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Libreville

$182 12.1% 33% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Libreville

$127 8.5% 14.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Libreville

$73 4.9% 8.9% $6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Libreville

$41 2.7% 18.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in Libreville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $68 in Libreville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $371 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇦 Libreville

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

850,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Libreville 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Libreville

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Libreville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $1,500 in Libreville – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,250 in Libreville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,028 in Libreville. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,500 in Libreville. That makes Playa del Carmen about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,500 in Libreville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.